What's Just Not Worth Scrimping On?

ixia

for me it's butter couldn't live without Lurpak and heinz tomato soup

In_Martin_We_Trust

rdchick wrote: »

Loo roll definitely - I HATE with a passion cheap loo roll - what's the point if you almost end up using your hand because it just falls apart!!! Lol!!! xxx

I do agree that with loo roll its not worth it, bin bags, eggs, cheap meat, cereal, tea, really cheap instant coffee, coke, tomato ketchup, lemon curd, mayo or baked beans. Washing up liquid has to be fairy and the best mouthwash is listerene.
I don't liked bagged bread as it goes off quickly instore bread is much better.

On the beauty front cheap nail varnish chips very easily, you can notice the difference with shampoo and conditioner too. Conditioner is not so necessary in summer. Cheap moisturisers etc are full of chemicals and will just make you itch. Boots sun lotion works for me but then I don't burn very easily.

Cheap alcohol is not worth the hangover the next morning trust me.

Things that you use a lot of tend to be the things you notice more. I have tried most of the value things and most are not worth it as there horrible eg batter mix. Most standard stuff is fine however watch out for the meat content in sausages. Try the downshift challenge as martin says and if you dont like it switch back.

There are plenty of freebies online and money off vouchers that help with a budget. Buy branded on offer with vouchers and its as cheap maybe cheaper than value with better quality. win-win.

I do agree with the dental care don't scrimp. I have learnt also that cheap shoes are not worth the pain.

Reduced to clear items are the way forward just make sure you eat or freeze the day you get them.

On the other hand good quality clothes can be cheaply acquired from charity shops and if you voluteer in them you may get staff discount. Primark does have some good things but there quality has being going down over the years I have noticed.

Just thought I'd summarise again as I like the completeness of the thread.

lobbyludd

when I read the title of this I thought "I'd scrimp on anything!" but then I read the replies and realised there's loads I won't scrimp on!

so those I wouldn't are:

certain personal hygiene items - skin prone to eczema and psoriasis for all three of us (thankfully mild) mean there is only one deodorant I can use: mitchum unperfumed in a block, I can't use cheap make-up (or a lot of expensive ones either but only wear it every so often so the good stuff lasts me ages). soap and sun-block has to be simple (which is mercifully always on offer somewhere). Washing powder has to be non-bio and we actually do better with supermarket own brands (not tried value yet) as they are so cheap they don't put anything horrible in them, the only casualty to this was within the last year Mr T changed their box-size and must have started using a new filler because we all came out in hives after using it, when it was fine before: this can happen with any brand though - just as you think you are fine. Can't use any fabric softener at all. Shampoo has to be head and shoulders, etc etc.

other than those:

Loo roll, whichever is cheapest without being the value range.

Boots, I get one pair in the January sales (this is usually my birthday present from dad) and wear them to death, I've bought 2 cheaper pairs before and had to replace both of them mid-year.

butter - it can be cheap butter, but not marg (nobody has it in sandwhiches, so only for cooking or spreading on warm surfaced food, yum!).

Oil, again can be cheap EVOO but not "vegetable oil" as it disagrees with my stomach.

tea - twinnings lady grey, I either drink this or no tea at all, after becoming pregnant with my first child, I became unable to taste normal tea (how weird is that?) and I prefer the citrusiness of this to plain earl grey.

cleaning products - I only use method, I love the smell and it is the only incentive I get to do any cleaning, so not MSE, but stops house being a health hazard.:rotfl:

We get honey cheerios, but only because I've not seen an own-brand equivalent, I'd love to scrimp on this if one of the supermarkets started doing their own range, the kids demolish it.

Candles, I get one or two scented candles a year, one for christmas and one in the summer if I can afford it. These are my treat, I'm not talking dyptique, but around £30 on a candle that can last me 6 months or so as I really don't like the cheaper ones.

other than that we can and do use value everything, I'll get napolina toms if they are on offer because they are so much richer than any others, but frankly the difference between other brands and value isn't worth the extra. I am fine with odd "cuts" of meat being pulverised into sausages (and yes I know exactly which bits they are - I had to visit abatoirs in one of my previous jobs), I'm more bothered about the cereal content than the definition of meat given that we have evolved to eat pretty much all of an animal.

and I'm fine with cheaper/value cuts of meat, I find much of the flavour of meat is held in the fat and in these less pretty cuts, it just takes a bit more prep time and different cooking techniques.

We have a roast chicken on sunday - the biggest I can buy and that does 3 extra meals for all of us plus soups for lunch for me. If I have the money in my budget I buy free-range, if not I don't, but in the vast majority of supermarkets we can't find any discernible taste/texture/quality difference, so this is an animal welfare choice. The ones we buy from the market are substantially tastier, but very, very expensive so much more of a treat.

full flavour mature cheddar is pretty much the same whether basic or branded and although I love other cheeses they don't tend to come in a value range so they are just bought sparingly.